life is good
Jun. 22nd, 2005 02:17 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rmdshort form: i still don't have cancer anymore. so far.
so, i had a CAT scan the other day (for me, not the cats) and got the results today. everything looks great. i'll continue to have followup bloodwork and i'll probably have another CAT scan in a year or so. i'll get more bloodwork done, although the CA-125 test isn't actually a *screening* test so much as one possible diagnostic factor to watch.
(the CA-125 looks for markers associated with ovarian cancer. however, ovarian cancer doesn't necessarily trigger the marker (i don't know offhand if it's that some people don't generate the marker or that some varieties of ovarian cancer don't generate the marker or both), so the definitive test is to do a CAT scan. so we'll keep doing those, probably on an annual basis for a few years, and keep watching CA-125 results to make sure they don't trend upwards. right now, my CA-125 results are low enough that they can fit underneath a cockroach's belly, so that's all good.)
note to self: after CAT scans, remember to drink a lot of water to flush out whatever the fuck is in that contrast. i didn't and was kind of oogy for a day or so.
so, i had a CAT scan the other day (for me, not the cats) and got the results today. everything looks great. i'll continue to have followup bloodwork and i'll probably have another CAT scan in a year or so. i'll get more bloodwork done, although the CA-125 test isn't actually a *screening* test so much as one possible diagnostic factor to watch.
(the CA-125 looks for markers associated with ovarian cancer. however, ovarian cancer doesn't necessarily trigger the marker (i don't know offhand if it's that some people don't generate the marker or that some varieties of ovarian cancer don't generate the marker or both), so the definitive test is to do a CAT scan. so we'll keep doing those, probably on an annual basis for a few years, and keep watching CA-125 results to make sure they don't trend upwards. right now, my CA-125 results are low enough that they can fit underneath a cockroach's belly, so that's all good.)
note to self: after CAT scans, remember to drink a lot of water to flush out whatever the fuck is in that contrast. i didn't and was kind of oogy for a day or so.
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no subject
Date: 2005-06-22 10:52 pm (UTC)btw, the ca-125 is made by the tumor, but some tumors don't make it. Essentially the ovarian cells make a tiny bit of it anyway, but when they grow out of control, you'll get lots and lots (thus elevated levels). Unfortunately, since tumors are just a cell that got a bunch of mutations so that it forgot to stop dividing, growing and making new cells, sometimes the mutations knock out the ability to make ca-125, so the tumor doesn't make it.
btw2, do drink lots 'n lots of water after your CAT scan. The biggest risk for CAT scans with contrast is that the contrast can be hard on your kidneys. Normal kidneys are usually just fine. People with slightly impaired kidneys are given medications and lots of IV fluid before a contract CAT scan. People with severely impaired kidneys make their docs think seriously about just how badly do they need that CAT scan, and can they get the info they need w/o contrast? In any case, lots of fluid to flush out the contrast is a good thing just before and for several hours after a CAT scan.